Avoiding changeover day

Thursday 12^th June; Marston Junction – Mancetter winding hole – Hartshill

Another warm and sunny morning, with whatever goes on behind the offside bank of trees starting work at 7.  But we were up, so it didn’t matter.  We were away before 9 and moored at Boot Wharf so Dave could walk to Halfords for a mini socket set.  There is a slightly shorter route from the next bridge but we couldn’t remember what the mooring was like.  (It's fine).  I started defrosting the fridge and got cracking with cleaning inside while he was away.  He returned with socket set, the correct fuse for the bow thruster power supply and some milk from the large Lidl he passed on the way. On we went.

We thought these might be volunteers repairing the towpath near Nuneaton. 

The machine must be for flattening tarmac patches

The stones were for filling holes behind the Armco

 

We wanted to get well out into the country before we stopped for lunch.  The towpath has recently been mown, quite sensitively it would seem – here is one of the three orchids I saw this morning which had been spared the mower’s blade.  Well spotted, contractors - or maybe volunteers did it to keep the contractors off!  It shows what might return if you are less free with your mowing.

And then...

Guess what?**

 

As we cast off after lunch there were a few spots of rain.  We didn’t have too far to go to the wharf at Springwood Haven, but by then it was hammering down.  Ah well, bare legs dry more quickly than trousers.  After a short wait the wharf was free and we shuffled back for a pump-out, new gas bottle, fuel, and to find out where our berth would be for tomorrow.  The rain gradually stopped as we approached the winding hole at Mancetter, and soon it was hot again, apart from the pesky wind.  

Hartshill yard clock tower across the fields

We stopped at the BW Hartshill yard for water. 

Eagle-eyed Jess spotted something in the water between the hull and the wharf.  Our second found ball this trip and none lost!

We stopped for the night in the usual place round the corner from the Anchor pub.  As we passed the gate to the footpath Jess was watching keenly; she has only been there twice but she knew exactly where we were, so off we all went to have a play with the frisbee.

Watching the trains

Then it was back to work – cleaning and the water-tank.  Dave soon managed to loosen the jubilee clips holding the leaking pipe and once that was done he could lift the whole lot out with the well deck fitting.

It all needs a jolly good clean.

How they managed to get the bend in the connecting pipe to cope with the offset between the top of the tank and the well deck fitting we don’t know – maybe they heated it.

It wasn't the flexible water pipe we were expecting, rather it was solid white plastic with a split in it and a bit had also sheared off at some time.

We guess the person deciding where to cut the hole for the well deck fitting hadn’t measured properly.  Unfortunately the chandlery at Springwood Haven didn’t have the right size flexible pipe so the job won’t be completed this trip.

7½ miles

**